Resources for Prospective Students

The M.A. (Theology) degree is a 36-credit-hour hybrid program comprising classes taken in residence during Summer Session, in combination with various off-campus course options during the Academic Year. On-line courses and courses offered at "extension" sights make our M.A. eminently flexible. Degree requirements include the 15 credits through Core Courses, 18 elective credits, and a 3-credit capstone course. We hope that the resources on this page help you discern whether or not Notre Dame is the right place for your theological studies. If our webpage does not answer all of your questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Applying to the Program

STUDENTS MAY BEGIN THE MA PROGRAM IN ANY SEMESTER, Summer, Fall or Spring:

Applications for Summer are due by April 15.

Applications for Fall are due by July 15.

Applications for Spring are due by November 1.

To be admitted to the Program, students must have completed a bachelor's degree and at least 6 pre-requisite credits in either Theology or Religious Studies. Prospective students who apply to become degree-seeking will need to submit along with their applicationa statement of intent, a resume, 3 letters of recommendation, unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution, GRE scores (scoring chart GRE Comparison) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students. If accepted into the Master of Arts in Theology program as an international student applying from outside of the U.S., you will also need to submit proof of tuition and room and board such as a bank statement or a letter from your Diocese. To expedite the processing of applications, the online application should be completed and submitted by the appropriate deadline, as above.

Students may also apply to take courses as a Non-Degree Student. Non-degree seeking students should visit this website for the admission application https://reg-apps.nd.edu/summer_application/ and visit this website for steps to admission, https://summersession.nd.edu/admitted-student-checklist. Beginning as a non-degree student may be appropriate if you lack sufficient pre-requisites to be degree-seeking, or if you simply want to take courses for personal enrichment. If you hope to become degree-seeking, please note that the Graduate School will only transfer up to 12 credits from non-degree to degree-seeking status.

SUMMER APPLICATION DEADLINE is April 15

Program of Study

Students must complete 15 credits through the 5 Core Courses: Jesus in Scripture & Tradition, Sacraments, Ecclesiology, Trinity & Christology, and Introduction to Moral Theology. These may be taken in any order. One Core course will be offered on-line each Fall and Spring Semester.

Students must also complete 18 credits of Elective Courses. We offer one elective each Fall and Spring on-line, and many elective opportunities during the summer, some in-residence, some as hybrid courses (partly on-line, partly in residence).

Students conclude their coursework with a 3-credit Capstone Course. The capstone courses are offered each summer in a hybrid format, with the final week of the course being complete on-campus in seminars. The capstone course will ask students to study a particular theological theme across the various subdisciplines (bible, liturgy, systematics, historical studies, spirituality, morality) via a particular reading list set by the instructor. Students will then be asked to write a research paper which will be presented to his or her seminar group. The capstone for Summer 2017 will take up the theme of Mercy.

Finally, please note that students are welcome to take their credits in various combinations of on-line & residential courses, but we require that at least 12 credits of coursework be accomplished within a residential community of learners.